April 2020 – Lisa Kiley
Mud Grid Trail Installation at Alum Creek State Park
April showers…you know the rest.
While we do need the rain for our gardens, as horse owners, rain is more likely
to make us think of mud. With a rather
mild winter we never really got away from mud through the winter season. This series will address some of the issues
with mud, look at different options on how to fix some muddy situations and
help with some suggestions on how to prevent mud from occurring. In this first installment, we will discuss
how one group of trail riders decided to take advantage of an easy solution to
fix a section of trail that had become nearly un-rideable.
Back in February, we ventured out
to a stretch of trail known as Winterhawk West in the Alum Creek State Park in
Kilbourne, OH. It was a mild day, and
although you could tell it had not been ridden on recently, the stretch of
trail was already holding water just waiting to meet four hooves and become a
mud puddle. The area quickly becomes
hock deep in mud and different efforts to re-route the trail only created
another muddy area in a less desirable place to ride. Because the section is well shaded, it often
remains muddy long after other areas of the trail have dried.
Bobbi Arters and Mary Chmielewski,
both active members of the Delaware County Chapter of the Ohio Horsemen’s
Council, were kind enough to show us this problematic stretch. They, along with other members of the Delaware
OHC work tirelessly to maintain the trails of Alum Creek. The devotion that this group of riders has
for preserving and maintaining the grounds is something that anyone who enjoys
the trails, from riders to hikers, should appreciate. The efforts of this volunteer organization
have a definite positive impact on the improvement of the trails.
The group had been looking for a
solution for the affected area and were planning on adding wooden boardwalks to
several sections of trail. However, this
project would be labor intensive, and the area was not easily accessible by
truck or ATV. Using fill material in
this section would also be difficult to complete because of accessibility and
because the area was often covered in water, it would only be a matter of time
before the fill would wash away.
This is when the Cashmans Horse
Equipment Team proposed a product that could provide a great solution. The mud
grids create a trail that would go right on top of the mud while providing a
strong anti-slip surface that wouldn’t sink.
As long time supporters of the Delaware Chapter of the Ohio Horseman’s
Council we decided to help make this project a reality. Once the organization approved the project
and with help from state grant funding for trail improvements, we were able to
start planning the trail project.
Beyond the fact that mud can
create a dangerous situation for your horse, there is also the environmental
impact that mud exacerbated by horse hooves can have on the ground long term. With heavy traffic, it can lead to deep mud
that isn’t good for you, your horse, or the environment. The mud grids provided a quick solution on this
muddy section of trail. The environmentally
friendly grids are made of 100% recycled plastic, need only minor preparation,
do not require back fill, and will help prevent erosion.
After measuring the area and
determining that we wanted to try and make the path as straight as
possible. The trail maintenance crew set
out to clear some of the areas so that we could maximize the length of the
trail rather than use additional grids for turns that weren’t necessary. The preparation involved cutting back brush
and removing some stumps out of the way of the new path.
On a bright day in early March,
we were able to complete the project.
The pathway, which was just over 200 ft, utilized just under 300
grids. We were able to wheelbarrow the
grids straight to the worksite and carry them by hand to the muddy areas. The grids easily fit together, and we could
apply them right on top of existing mud.
There were a few areas where we dug out roots or moved a little bit of
ground to make them lay flatter, but overall, the surface prep was very
minimal. Because of the weight of the
grids, they did not need to be secured into the ground. The surface is textured for anti-slip
traction which is so important for the safety of the riders and horses. From start to finish, we were able to complete
the project in under three hours, this included the time it took to get the
product to the area of trail where we were working.
Hopefully drier weather is around
the corner and we will all be able to hit the trails or ride on the rail at our
favorite parks and showgrounds. Mud can
be difficult to deal with, but there are opportunities to mitigate, prevent and
eventually solve issues associated with it.
I look forward to sharing some of these insights in the coming
months.
Lisa Kiley is a lifelong horse
enthusiast who has worked in the equine industry and shown horses for many
years. As a proud member of the
Cashman’s Horse Equipment Team in Delaware, OH, she enjoys educating consumers
on products that put safety first to benefit horses and the humans that love
them. Cashmans Horse Equipment has been
providing top quality products to the equine and agricultural community for
over 40 years, with a commitment to sourcing environmentally conscious
merchandise and items made in the U.S.A.
